The Pursuit of Happyness

***1/2 Stars

The American Dream: through hard work, courage and determination one can achieve prosperity (aka Chris Gardner)

Will Smith brings The Pursuit of Happyness from a typical tearjerker, to a memorable journey of the American Dream. He is the heart and soul of this film, but not without some solid supporting performances.

This is inspired by the true story of Chris Gardner, a bright and talented, but devastatingly poor salesman struggling just to make rent and afford food. Gardner soon finds himself and his five-year-old son evicted from their San Francisco apartment with nowhere to go. When Gardner lands an internship at a prestigious stock brokerage firm, he and his son endure many hardships, from living on the streets to struggling for food. Chris and his son Christopher (Smith's real life son Jaden Smith, in a surprising strong debut) pursue a dream of a better life and future happiness. This is the most personal performance of Smith's career and he is on the road to a well deserved Oscar nomination.